Stasting cathode for electrolytic refining of copper and other metals



1931- w. F. EPPENSTEINER ET AL ,3 8

v STARTING CATHODE FOR ELECTROLYTIC REFINING OF COPPER AND OTHER METALS I Filed Nov. 15, 1928 6' i I C,

INVENTORS V ulll|l|lll |||||||l| Ill IIIIIIII H 'IIIilI lllllllllll v|lllllllllll .lI|||||ll|| llllllllllllllllllll .Illlll War By Attorneys, 511mm. M j l fi Patented Dec. '15, 1931 nurrso srArss mam OFFICE 3E. EEPENSTEINER, F RAHWAY, AND WILLIAM F. EPPENS'IEINEB, 0F WGQIDBRIDGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS T0 UNITED STATES METALS BEZFINING- GQZBZPANY, GE CABTEEET, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CATHODE FOR ELEGTRGLYTIC RH'INING- QB COIEPER AND QTHER METALS Application hicveraser 15, 1928.

in refining copper electrolytically, the copper to he refined is cast in plate form as an odes which are suspended in electrolytictanks in alternation with cathodes in plate form, the electrolysis dissolving copper from the anodes and depositing it on the cathodes, while the insoluble impurities collect at the bottom of the vat in the form of anode mud or slime. For the starting of this process it is" 11o customary to use thin plates or sheets of deposited copper which are stripped from a rolled plate on which the deposit is made,

. and are then strai htened to bring them. to a flat or plane sur ace, and are suspended in lathe electrolytic tank by hanging them on copper conducting rods. They are usually ess to some distortion by reason of. temperature variations and other disturbing-conditions within the'electrolytic tank.

The present inventionv provides an im-' proved construction of starting sheet which is corrugated in such manner as to impart to it a high degree of stifiness or rigidity such as to prevent warping, curling, or other disand conducting loops for connectmg the cathode plates to their suspending crossbars are attached to the sheets by a forming and swaging or riveting operation which is advantageously performed at the same stroke of the press-by which the corrugating is effected.

The accompanying drawings show the preferred construction of starting sheet in to this invention:

' igure 1 is an elevation of the sheet with its bar and hangers, only a portion of the corr igations being shown.

Fr 2. 1s a. transverse section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

tions 0 are best made of diminishing depth,

tortion during electrolysis. The suspending accord- Serial No. 319,708.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation, being an enlargement-of one corner of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4.- is a vertical section of Fig. 3 on the line 44 therein.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the upper part of the sheet on the line 55 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

In the drawing, A is the starting sheet or starting cathode, B B are its suspending loops, and C is the usual copper bar from which the plate-is hung, and which serves as the means of electrolytically connecting it witll the conducting bars or bus bars of the tan r p Practically the entire surface of the sheet U is formed with corrugations a a, which are here shown as vertical, being supplemented by. horizontal corrugations b above, and a beneath. These corrugations are preferably of about the proportions shown. They serve to stiflen the-entire sheet and impart to it a high degree of rigidity or resistance to bending in all directions. The lower corrugaas shown in Fig. 4, so that they afi'ord very little approach to horizontal surfaces on which slimes might adhere, it being desirable to cause all the anode mud or slime carrying the precious metals to precipitate to the bot tom of the tank-beneath the electrodes.

The'upper corrugations b areinterrupted at two points conveniently separated to afford plain surfaces for the attachment of the suspending loops B B. These loops are 3 strips of copper bent together and united to the plate by any suitable forming and swaging or riveting operation. In the construction shown, the plate'is punched with holes and the strips are driven at (Z through these holes and expanded-and" clinched down ate in the manner of a hollow eyelet, or by any other swaging operation. The'clos'ed loops embrace the copper bar C tightly, as usual, so that the bar serves both as a support and an electric conductor. f L 1 Practical use of thesecorrugated starting sheets has demonstrated that they have important and valuable advantages. The ordinaryflat starting sheets require to beflopped after a run of about 36 hours; this requires that the plates be taken out of the vat singly, placed on an inclined wooden plane, and straightened by pounding with wooden beaters, after which they are replaced in the tank and the deposition is continued. This flopping is entirely avoided by the use of the corrugated sheets, which have such inherent stiffness as to preserve their original fiat plane during the entire period of electrodeposition. Other advantages are that labor is saved in the straightening or flattening of the sheets, labor is saved in the hanging of the sheets, clean contacts are insured throughout the period of deposition; transfer resistance is equalized, resulting in uniformity of voltage; higher ampere efficiency is attained the sheets afford an increased depositing area; a greater yield in copper per tank day is obtained; any small nodules formed on the original starting sheets are minimized in the process of corrugating, and the handling of the finished cathodes is economized.

While the invention is principally useful for copper refining, it is available in any electrolytic refining where a startin sheet is used, of the same metal which is deposited from the electrolyte on the cathode, as for lead, nickel, etc.

We claim as our invention 1. A cathode starting sheet for electrolytic refining of metal, having its surface varied by parallel corrugations extending in different directions.

2. A cathode starting sheet for electrolytic refining of metal, having its surface varied by parallel corrugations extending both vertically and horizontally.

3. A cathode starting sheet for electrolytic refining of, metal, having its surface varied by" parallel corrugations occupying the main surface area, and marginal corrugations at right'angles thereto. v

4. A cathode starting sheet for electrolytic refining of metal, having its upper portion stifi'ened by horizontal parallel corrugations and having vertical parallel corrugations below the horizontal corrugations and suspension loops applied to portions of the sheet where the horizontal corrugations are interrupted.

5. A cathode starting sheet for electrolytic refining of metal, having a conducting bar and suspension loops embracin said bar and fastened to the plate, the surface of the plate, except where engaged by said loops, stiffened by parallel corrugations extending in different directions.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

WILLIAM F. EPPENSTEINER.

F. EPPENSTEINER. 

